Past Regrets
by Master Summoner Sheena
Summary: They once were friends. Now bitter enemies, they find themselves fighting over a certain boy they have each come to think of as a son. Some Kranna.
1. Martel

MSS: …

Lloyd: Hey, why aren't you saying anything?

MSS: Like what?

Lloyd: Like how this is a challenge story? Or how this chapter will be told in flashbacks mostly? Or that you don't own ToS? Or that you think everyone should start reading?

MSS: Thanks for saying all that for me!

Lloyd: I said what? (Reads what he just said) Oh.

MSS: Enjoy, it's my first non-humor fic so… good luck to me!

Ooooo

_"Kratos? Please, promise me something." Kratos looked down with tenderness at his brunette wife._

_"What is it Anna?" he whispered softly in her ear._

_"Kratos… please, promise me, no matter what happens to me, protect Lloyd," Anna looked at the sleeping boy curled up under one tree. She gently spread their only blanket on him as Kratos came closer and drew her towards him._

_"I promise. But, don't talk like that Anna. Soon, your Ruin Crest will be made," reassured Kratos._

_Anna smiled. "You're right, I shouldn't worry."_

_"I heard there's a dwarf somewhere in the Iselia Forest. To marrow, we'll head there," promised Kratos. Kratos leaned against the tree next to Lloyd. Lloyd stirred slightly, mumbling in his sleep. The moonlight shone through the trees, pure and innocent as Ann settled down, leaning on Kratos…_

Ooooo

Kratos looked with a mixture of horror and resoluteness at the advancing monster. It was too late to turn back now. The cry of a small boy watching from the sidelines caused him to turn instantly towards the boy to make sure he was okay.

Ooooo

_"Daddy! You promised!" Lloyd jumped on top of Kratos, who almost jumped himself in shock as his son shock him out of his thoughts._

_"Promised what Lloyd?" Kratos struggled to remember the forgotten promise._

_"You said you would take me stargazing. AND tell me a story," Lloyd added, sensing an advantage._

_"Very well." Kratos lifted Lloyd onto his shoulders and, with a nod at Anna, was off walking towards a clearing. _

_"What dat one?" demanded Lloyd, pointing a chubby finger at the sky._

_"Which one?" queried Kratos, craning his neck at the sky._

_"Dat one! Da big one!" Lloyd pointed._

_Kratos gave a small laugh. "That's not a star. That's the moon."_

_Lloyd and Kratos settled under the lone tree in the clearing. The moonlight reflected off Lloyd's eyes as he looked up at Kratos and asked, "Why are we always in twees? We no see da stars!"_

_Kratos sighed. "Lloyd, first you need to understand there's a group of… bad guys… after us. By traveling through forests, we minimize the chance of them spotting us."_

_Lloyd cocked his head, not understanding, and said, "I no get it, bwut I got it."_

_Kratos smiled as he fought back laughter._

_"Now tell me a story!" demanded Lloyd. He settled down patiently._

_"I'm going to tell you the story of when Mithos made the pact with Maxwell," began Kratos…_

Ooooo

The monster, hearing the cry, turned towards Lloyd and advanced. Its advance was halted by a green and white creature that jumped in front of Lloyd.

Ooooo

_"Noishe, no matter what happens, protect Lloyd," Kratos requested. Noishe whined. "I'm not saying something will happen, just if something does… please protect him."_

_Noishe whined again then trotted off. He curled up protectively against Lloyd…_

Ooooo

Kratos gritted his teeth. He had to do it, now, before it was too late. Anna would want that as well. He rushed forward, his sword drawn.

I'm sorry Anna…

Ooooo

Yggdrasill looked mockingly down at Anna's body. "Foolish human. Did you really think you could escape me?" Yggdrasill knelt down next to the body. Raising high his right hand, he gathered Mana to it to prepare to destroy the body. "I knew your every move, you worthless inferior be-"

A rock hit Yggdrasill in the arm. The ball of Mana reflexively disappeared as he turned in surprise. Standing before him was a young boy who couldn't be older than three. He was carrying a stick, and wore a fierce expression on his face as he shouted, "Stay away from Mommy!"

Yggdrasill smiled slightly. "You must be Lloyd."

"Gimme you name and I give you mine!" shouted Lloyd.

Yggdrasill was prepared to kill Lloyd when suddenly… the way he stood… the determination to protect his dead mother… it was like…

Ooooo

_Mithos and Yuan were kneeling next to Martel. Yuan held her hand to his face. He was crying, and had been for awhile. Mithos was hugging her tightly, still in shock. Kratos walked up to them._

_"Yuan. Mithos." Kratos placed a hand on each of his friend's shoulders. "We should be going. Remember, the Giant Kharlan Tree is dead. We need to-"_

_"You think I don't know that?" hissed Yuan. "Kratos, give us some time!"_

_"There will be plenty of time for mourning later. With each passing second the world slips further down the path of destruction. Martel would not have wished to die in vain. For her sake, we must continue," urged Kratos._

_After another moment Yuan rose to his feet, gently laying Martel's hand in her lap._

_"What about-" Kratos began, but Yuan cut him off._

_"Give him another minute. Out of all of us, he was closest to Martel."_

_Kratos nodded in silent agreement. The two left the clearing to give Mithos some privacy._

_"Why?... Martel…" A tear rolled down Mithos' cheek. A growl in front of him caused him to quickly look up. He saw a small pack of wolves. Fear briefly flashed through his eyes, but quickly turned to anger and defiance as he rose, drawing his sword._

_"Stay away from my sister!" Mithos charged at the wolves…_

Ooooo

The same look, mirrored on Lloyd's face, caused Yggdrasill to freeze. Lloyd reminded him… of… himself.

Yggdrasill abruptly reminded himself of why he had come. Retrieve the exspere. Glancing at the ground, he quickly spotted it. Before he could move, Lloyd, following his eyes, grabbed the exspere. Gazing at Lloyd in mild shock, Yggdrasill was struck with an idea. Kratos needed to be punished. What better way to punish him than turn his own son against him?

"Lloyd. Your mother is dead. You have nowhere to go. If you come with me, I will take care of you. As if…" Yggdrasill was uncertain of his next words, but continued anyway. "As if… you were my son."

Lloyd looked down at the glowing red stone in his hand. Yggdrasill extended his right hand down to Lloyd. Looking back up, Lloyd stared at it for a moment before grabbing it.

With a satisfied smile Yggdrasill said, "Let us leave then."

A bright light formed around the two. When it faded, both were gone, and no one was left to witness a green and white animal leading a short, bearded dwarf to where Anna lay.

Ooooo

MSS: So? How was it?

Lloyd: O.o That's a lot of flashbacks…

MSS: Please review!


	2. The New Father

MSS: Um, hi?

Zelos: Don't tell me this is why you wanted a bodyguard…

MSS: Well, it's been about a year… and I've finally decided to update. I feel like I owe you all an apology. So, to make up for taking so long, I'm going to try my hardest to release one chapter per week. So… you all forgive me, right?

Zelos: Anyways, Master Summoner Sheena does not own ToS.

MSS: And… I'm going to try to not use flashbacks this time. I promise there will only be one.

**Ooooo**

Chapter 2: The New Father

Yggdrasill stepped into a clearing, Lloyd bouncing at his side. They were going on a picnic in an attempt to make Lloyd trust him more. However, trust wasn't really an issue with the naturally trusting Lloyd…

"Lookie! A butterfly!" shouted Lloyd gleefully. He ran after it, swatting at the air.

Yggdrasill allowed himself a small smile. Lloyd sighed as the butterfly flew out of his reach and ran back.

"I'm hungry," he whined, making a face.

Yggdrasill concealed his annoyance and stated, "Then chose a spot for us to set up."

Lloyd glanced around, chewing on his thumbnail. "How about… that tree?"

"Very well then," answered Yggdrasill, inclining his head gracefully. He placed the basket on the ground and pulled out a blanket. Spreading it on the ground, Yggdrasill attempted to smooth it only for Lloyd to plop down. Gritting his teeth, Yggdrasill passed a plate to Lloyd and spread the food on the blanket.

"Yay!" Lloyd shouted. He began to stuff his face.

Yggdrasill leaned against the tree contemplatively, wondering if this would work. He quickly shook the thought from his mind. The idea came from his sister herself, and she was never wrong.

**Ooooo**

"_What am I supposed to do to get Lloyd to trust me?" Yggdrasill paced in front of the Great Seed. "All he talks about is how great Kratos is. I need some way to get him to like me better…"_

_He paused in front of the Seed and looked up at his sister. "Martel… I wish you were here to guide me."_

_Young children like picnics._

"_Huh?" Yggdrasill momentarily lost his regality. "Martel…" His features once again hardened. "Yes… a picnic… that should do." With that he strode from the hall._

**Ooooo**

"Boo!" Yggdrasill was shaken from his thoughts by a chubby face covered in crumbs. Lloyd laughed and clapped his hands.

Controlling his irritation, Yggdrasill picked up a napkin and gripped Lloyd's shoulder. Using his mana he wet the napkin and proceeded to wash Lloyd's face, despite the younger's protests.

"As a son of the Lord of Cruxis you must look presentable at all times," Yggdrasill stated.

Lloyd paused in his wriggling. "So… I really am your son? But… what about Daddy?"

Yggdrasill carefully selected his words before answering. "It is believed your Father has passed away. As his friend, I am obliged to protect and raise you in his stead."

Lloyd cocked his head. "Huh?"

Yggdrasill attempted to simplify his explanation. "Your Father has… gone on a long trip. Until he gets back, I am your new Father."

"Oh…" Lloyd grinned widely. "Then can I call you Daddy?"

Yggdrasill gave a small start. But this was what he wanted, wasn't it? "Yes Lloyd. You may."

"Okay!" Lloyd hugged Yggdrasill.

Yggdrasill froze. It had been so long since he had had human contact. So long…

Lloyd jumped up. "I wanna play a game!"

Yggdrasill smiled indulgently. "And what game is that?"

"Tag! You're it!" With that Lloyd ran off.

Yggdrasill sighed and chased after Lloyd. After a couple minutes of running Yggdrasill stopped. Lloyd couldn't have run that far. "Where did he go…?"

Pretend not to notice him.

Yggdrasill spotted Lloyd hiding under a bush, his hair sticking out. Following the advice, he said, "I wonder where Lloyd could have gone."

Giggles erupted from the bush. Making sure not to look directly at Lloyd, Yggdrasill came closer and closer. "He's not up the tree…"

Lloyd fidgeted a little, preparing to make a break for it. Suddenly Yggdrasill lunged and caught him. "There you are!" he said, putting on a smile for Lloyd.

Lloyd laughed. "This is fun! Daddy and I never played during the day!"

Yggdrasill was abruptly reminded of the situation. Lloyd wasn't his real son; he could never allow himself to forget that. "Come on. We're heading back now."

"Aww…" groaned Lloyd.

"We'll play again later. I promise," promised Yggdrasill, holding out his hand.

"Hmm… deal!" shouted Lloyd. He took Yggdrasill's hand and the two vanished in a ball of bright light.

**Ooooo**

That night Yggdrasill set what he assumed to be a sleeping Lloyd on his bed.

He began to exit when he heard a muffled, "Daddy… tell me a story…"

Yggdrasill returned to the bed and sat on it. "I think it's time for you to sleep."

Lloyd stubbornly sat up and crossed his arms across his chest. "Not until you tell me a story."

Yggdrasill sighed. "Fine. Once upon a time there was a boy who was supposed to be asleep. He wanted to hear a story, so his father told him one. The end."

Lloyd scowled. "That's not a story! Tell me a real one!"

Not wanting to antagonize Lloyd, Yggdrasill gave in. "Exactly what kind of story should I tell you?"

Lloyd instantly brightened. "A story about Mithos the hero!"

Yggdrasill froze. "Mithos… the hero?"

Lloyd nodded happily. "Daddy told me all the time! I like the one where they snuck into the Hidden Ninja Village!"

Yggdrasill smiled fondly at the memory before dragging himself back to reality. "That's what you want to hear?"

"Yeah!" Lloyd cuddled with the blanket.

Yggdrasill shut his eyes. "It all began when the idiot of the group, Yuan, decided he just had to have the perfect birthday present for his girlfriend Martel. Martel was gorgeous, and the most wonderful person to ever exist. She was the perfect older sister, and-"

"Can you just skip to the funny part?" interrupted Lloyd, looking bored.

Yggdrasill frowned. "I'm telling the story my way. This is what really happened. Got it?"

Lloyd sighed. "But I want to hear about the chicken part!"

"Very well," Yggdrasill smirked at the memory. "Kratos had warned Yuan to look out for the chicken pen, but of course the idiot wouldn't listen. Yuan's cape caught on the fence and he fell in a pile of chicken dung. The crybaby then began to whine about his cape being ruined."

Lloyd laughed hysterically, clutching his sides.

"Meanwhile, the brave handsome hero, Mithos, had discovered the perfect gift. It was a pendant with a green lily on it which matched his sister's eyes perfectly. Since Martel loved lilies, Mithos knew it would prove him to be better than the ugly oaf Yuan was…"

Yggdrasill paused as he saw Lloyd had fallen asleep. He carefully tucked him in and dimmed the lights before exiting.

Lloyd smiled in his sleep. "Good… night… Dad… dy…"

**Ooooo**

MSS: It's a little short, but that seemed the perfect place to end it.

Zelos: Please review!


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